Obesity rates have doubled worldwide in the past 30 years, coinciding with a growing food surplus, and the ensuing epidemic has sparked a multibillion dollar weight loss industry that has largely failed to curb the problem.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder also known as “binge purge” behavior. It is described “an illness in which a person binges on food or has regular episodes of significant overeating and feels a loss of control,” according to the US National Institute of Health.